O'r gorllewin i'r dwyrain

O'r gorllewin i'r dwyrain ~ From west to east

(Paro -> Gelephu -> Yonphula)

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Dechreuon ni'n gynnar y bore 'ma. Roedd rhaid i ni dal hedfan mewnol i Yonphula yn ddwyrain Bhutan. Mae meysydd awyr mewnol Bhutan yn fach iawn, ac mae Maes Awyr Yonphula (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yongphulla_Airport) y fwyaf anodd. Mae'n ddim ond 1.2km o hyd, ac mae'n ar uchder o 2.7km ac wedi'i orchuddio'n aml mewn cwmwl. Does dim radar gyda fe, felly oni bai bod yr awyr yn glir mae'n amhosib glanio awyren. Dim ond pedwar peilot yn y byd yn gallu glanio ar Yonphula.

Heddiw roedd y tywydd yn gymylog ar Yonphula, a ni allai'r awyren mynd oni bai bod yr awyr yn glir ar gyfer glanio.  Gwnaethon ni aros ym Maes Awyr Paro tan glywon  ni'r newyddion da - roedd yr awyr yn clirio.  Hedfanon ni i Gelephu, maes awyr bach arall ar y ffin ag India. Gwnaeth ychydig o bobl adael yr awyren yn Gelephu, ac eraill yn dod ymlaen.  Daeth y peilot i ddweud wrthon ni am yr amodau yn Yonphula. Dwedodd e y byddai fe'n ceisio glanio ond roedd dim byd yn sicr. Roedd yr hediad yn ddigyffro, ond roedd y glaniad yn gyffrous. Roedd dim ond digon o redfa i lanio'r awyren. Ond roedd popeth yn iawn. Gwnaethon ni gymeradwyo.

Roedd dim ond chwech ohonon ni yn y parti (yn y llun). Roedd rhaid i ni fynd ar hediad cynnar oherwydd roedd e'n amhosib am yr 25 i gyd ohonon ni i deithio ar yr un awyren.  Pan gyrhaeddon  ni yn Yonphula, aethon ni'n syth i weld Yonphula Rinpoche yn Yonphula Lhakhang. Cawson ni ein croeso gyda'r lletygarwch arferol ac roedden ni'n gallu cwrdd â Yonphula Rinpoche cyn roedd e'n mynd i roi bendith i'r  bobl leol.  Roedd rhaid i ni adael yn gynnar oherwydd roedd gweddill y grŵp wedi cyrraedd yn Yonphula ac roedd rhaid i ni fynd cwrdd â nhw. Daethon ni'n gyfarwydd iawn â ffyrdd troellog yr ardal o gwmpas Yonphula...

Ar ôl ymuno â'n cyd-bererinion aethon i i ymweld â Lama Dawa Zangpo yn Brekha Woesel Choeling Yogi Monastery (Gweler Facebook).  (Mae lletygarwch Bwdhaidd bob amser yn creu argraff arnaf.  Mae 25 dieithryn yn cyrraedd ac yn syth mae'n de a bisgedi am bawb.  Bydd rhaid i mi ddysgu o'u henghraifft.) Gwnaethon ni fwynhau ein trafodaethau gyda Lama Dawa a gwnaethon ni gyfnewid alawon am amrywiol arferion.

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We started early this morning. We had to catch an internal flight to Yonphula in eastern Bhutan. Bhutan's internal airports are very small, and Yonphula Airport is the most difficult. It's only 1.2km long, and at an altitude of 2.7km and often covered in cloud. It has no radar, so unless the sky is clear it is impossible to land a plane. Only four pilots in the world can land on Yonphula.

Today the weather was cloudy on Yonphula, and the plane could not go unless the air was clear for landing. We stayed at Paro Airport until we heard the good news - the sky was clearing. We flew to Gelephu, another small airport on the border with India. A few people left the plane at Gelephu, and others came on. The pilot came to tell us about the conditions in Yonphula. He said he would try to land but nothing was certain. The flight was calm, but the landing was exciting. There was just enough runway to land the plane. But everything was fine. We applauded.

There were only six of us in the party. We had to fly early because it was impossible for all 25 of us to travel on the same plane. When we arrived in Yonphula, we went straight to see Yonphula Rinpoche in Yonphula Lhakhang. We were welcomed with the usual hospitality and were able to meet Yonphula Rinpoche before he went to bless the local people. We had to leave early because the rest of the group had arrived in Yonphula and we had to go meet them. We became very familiar with the winding roads of the area around Yonphula ...

After joining our fellow pilgrims we went to visit Lama Dawa Zangpo at Brekha Woesel Choeling Yogi Monastery (See Facebook). (I'm always impressed by Buddhist hospitality. 25 strangers arrive and immediately it's tea and biscuits for everyone. I'll have to learn from their example.) We enjoyed our discussions with Lama Dawa and exchanged tunes for various practices.